FLATBREAD

Prep: Less than 30 mins
About: raw/vegan
Makes: 4

A bread for when you have nothing but flour & something to fry in. This recipe is the basic of tortillas, chapattis, and basic breads the world over - and there are various ways to upskill the meal, but you can assemble something edible from literally just flour.

INGREDIENTS

• 200g/7oz plain or wholemeal flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 100ml/3½fl oz warm water
• 2 tbsp oil (olive, sunflower or vegetable), plus extra for cooking
• A spread, dip or filling

~HOW TO~

1. Place the flour and salt in a large bowl and trickle on the water bit by bit.

2. Mix the water and flour mixture together. Kids can mix using one finger so that they don’t get a whole hand covered in dough. Doughy hands can be cleaned by rubbing a little more flour onto the hands over another bowl or the bin – resist the urge to wash doughy hands as you will block the drain!

3. Add the oil and knead the dough – you are aiming for a soft dough. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour or if it is too dry, add a splash of water.

4. Knead the dough for 5 minutes – kids can do this in the bowl or on a clean surface using one or two hands.

5. You can cook the breads straight away or leave the dough to stand for about 30 minutes. This is a good time to make a quick filling such as a grated salad or dip. Divide the dough into four balls (or six if you have a smaller frying pan).

6. On a clean surface, roll each ball of dough one at a time using a rolling pin (see the Recipe Tip for alternatives). If you pick up and move round the flatbread often you know it hasn’t stuck. (You may need to sprinkle a little flour on the surface but only use a little as too much will dry out the dough.) Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect circles!

7. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Take a sheet of kitchen paper and rub a little oil onto the surface of the pan. Cook each flatbread for about 2 minutes on one side – it should puff up a little. Flip the flatbread over using tongs and then cook for a couple of minutes on the other side. The flatbread should have turned lighter in colour and may have a few spots of brown. Keep the cooked flatbreads warm, wrapped in foil or a clean tea towel, until the others are cooked.

About

The oil content here makes cleaning surfaces & bowls far easier than a regular dough.

If you want crisp flatbreads rub them with a little olive oil, chop into strips or triangles with scissors and then ask an adult to fry them for 5–10 minutes, or until crisp.

Flatbreads can be rolled out and frozen in a stack. You will need to put a bit of greaseproof paper between each of the breads so they don’t stick. Frozen flatbreads can be cooked from frozen – they will take a few minutes more to cook in a hot frying pan.

These flatbreads are so easy that kids can help mix, knead and roll out the dough if an adult helps with the cooking.

If you don't have a rolling pin, you can use a tin can or wine bottle instead (just give it a good clean first). Some reusuable water bottles have smooth straight sides too, so they are also a good option.

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Credits: Horizontal rules and background. This recipe by Jo Ingleby from BBC Good Food.